APPENDIX H: BIOLOGICAL TECHNICAL MEMORANDUM Biological Technical Memorandum for the 2800 Casitas Avenue Project, an Approximately 5.7-Acre Property Located in Los Angeles County, Glenn Lukos Associates June 13, 2017 [Revised January 22, 2019 and April 18, 2019] TECHNICAL MEMORANDUM PROJECT NUMBER: 1287-01NELA TO: Dale Goldsmith, Armbruster Goldsmith & Delvac, LLP FROM: Tony Bomkamp DATE: June 13, 2017 [Revised January 22, 2019 and April 18, 2019] SUBJECT: Biological Technical Memorandum for the 2800 Casitas Project, an Approximately 5.7-Acre Property Located in Los Angeles County This Technical Memorandum documents the results of a biological analysis conducted in accordance with the City of Los Angeles Thresholds Guide for biological resources pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) for the 2800 Casitas Project (Project), a 5.7- acre property located within Los Angeles County, California. This Technical Memorandum includes a discussion of existing conditions for the Project Site and adjacent areas. This Technical Memorandum also evaluates the Project Site for special-status species, including species that are listed as threatened or endangered pursuant to the federal Endangered Species Act (FESA) and the California Endangered Species Act (CESA), wildlife that are assigned other designations (e.g., state species of special concern, state fully-protected species, etc.), and non- listed plants given special status by the California Native Plant Society (CNPS). 1.0 INTRODUCTION 1.1 Background and Scope of Work The scope of this Technical Memorandum includes a discussion of existing conditions for the approximately 5.7-acre Project Site and the adjacent offsite segment of the Los Angeles River (L.A. River) and state park lands, all methods employed regarding the general biological surveys, the documentation of botanical and wildlife resources identified (including special- status species), and an analysis of impacts to biological resources. Methods of the study include a review of relevant literature, field surveys, and a Geographical Information System (GIS)- based depiction of vegetation resources. The Technical Memorandum is consistent with accepted scientific and technical standards and survey guideline requirements issued by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW), the CNPS, and other applicable agencies/organizations. The field study focused on specific objectives that would comply with CEQA requirements, including: (1) general reconnaissance survey, (2) general biological surveys; (3) habitat 29 Orchard Lake Forest California 92630-8300 Telephone: (949) 837-0404 Facsimile: (949) 837-5834 MEMORANDUM June 13, 2017 [Revised January 22, 2019 and April 18, 2019] PAGE 2 assessments for special-status plant species; and (4) habitat assessments for special-status wildlife species. Additionally, the field study also considered the City of Los Angeles Thresholds Guide and evaluated: (1) condition of the biological resources on the property; (2) condition of the biological resources associated with the adjacent segment of the L.A. River; and segment of the L.A. River and adjacent state park lands, and (3) potential direct and indirect impacts on offsite biological resources. 1.2 Project Location The Project Site is a triangle-shaped parcel and covers approximately 5.7 acres in the City of Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, California [Exhibit 1 – Regional Map] and is located within an unsectioned portion of Township 1 South, Range 13 West, of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) 7.5” quadrangle map Los Angeles (dated 1966 and photorevised in 1981) [Exhibit 2 – Vicinity Map]. The Project Site is generally bounded by California State Route 2 to the west, commercial development to the north, the L.A. River to the south, and state park lands and rail lines to the east. 2.0 METHODOLOGY On May 23, 2017, biologists from Glenn Lukos Associates (GLA) conducted a biological resources evaluation of the Project Site. The site was evaluated to determine the potential for special-status species to occur on site. The biologists conducted a pedestrian survey of the site and areas adjacent to the site that were not already developed to identify whether there are habitats in offsite areas adjacent to the project site with the potential to support special-status species. Observations of all plant and wildlife species were recorded during the above- mentioned survey effort [Appendix A: Floral Compendium and Appendix B: Faunal Compendium]. Individual plants and wildlife species are evaluated in this report based on their “special-status.” For this report, plants were considered “special-status” based on one or more of the following criteria: • Listing through the Federal and/or State Endangered Species Act (FESA/CESA); • Occurrence in the CNPS Rare Plant Inventory (Rank 1A/1B, 2A/2B, 3, or 4) (also known as the California Rare Plant Rank (CRPR); and/or • Occurrence in the California Natural Diversity Database (CNDDB) inventory (CDFW 2017). Appendix C consists of a review of the CNDDB results pertaining to sensitive floral species. Appendix D consists of a review of the CNDDB results pertaining to sensitive wildlife species. MEMORANDUM June 13, 2017 [Revised January 22, 2019 and April 18, 2019] PAGE 3 3.0 RESULTS 3.1 5.7-Acre Project Site The Project Site [Exhibit 3 – Aerial Site Map] consists of an approximately 5.7-acre roughly triangle-shaped parcel of developed land currently occupied by commercial businesses and associated plantings of ornamental vegetation. No natural or semi-natural vegetation communities are present on the Project Site; plants present are non-native consisting of ornamental non-native trees and shrubs of several species. No wetland habitat is present on the Project site. The vegetation provides generally low value for locally common wildlife species, especially birds, such as northern mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos), house finch (Haemorhous mexicanus), house sparrow (Passer domesticus), European starling (Sturnus vulgaris), and mourning dove (Zenaida macroura). 3.2 Adjacent Segment of the L.A. River and State Park Offsite Slope The adjacent slope immediately south of the Project Site, between the Project Site and the concrete bank of the L.A. River, is vegetated with a mix of upland non-native and native herb- dominated species strongly adapted to anthropogenic disturbance. Non-native species observed on this upper slope include acacia (Acacia sp.), black mustard (Brassica nigra), English plantain (Plantago lanceolata), fountain grass (Pennisetum setaceum), foxtail brome (Bromus madritensis ssp. rubens), Mexican fan palm (Washingtonia robusta), prickly lettuce (Lactuca serriola), Spanish broom (Spartium junceum), tocalote (Centaurea melitensis), and tree tobacco (Nicotiana glauca). Native species observed on this upper slope include California brittlebush (Encelia californica), California buckwheat (Eriogonum fasciculatum), chicory leaved stephanomeria (Stephanomeria cichoriacea), coast prickly pear (Opuntia littoralis), deerweed (Acmispon glaber), blue elderberry (Sambucus nigra ssp. caerulea), giant horseweed (Erigeron canadensis), mulefat (Baccharis salicifolia), southern California black walnut (Juglans californica), and white sage (Salvia apiana) [Photograph 1, Exhibit 4 – Site Photographs]. Of the above-listed species, only one special-status species was observed: southern California black walnut (California Rare Plant Rank 4.2). Two Five small southern California black walnut individuals were observed on the offsite slope as depicted in Exhibit 3, wholly outside the Project boundary and beyond the grading limits. Native wildlife species expected to use this offsite slope include common reptilian species such as western fence lizard (Sceloporus occidentalis); common avian species such as California towhee (Melozone crissalis), house finch, lesser goldfinch (Spinus psaltria), mourning dove, and MEMORANDUM June 13, 2017 [Revised January 22, 2019 and April 18, 2019] PAGE 4 black phoebe (Sayornis nigricans); and common mammalian species such as California ground squirrel (Otospermophilus beecheyi) and desert cottontail (Sylvilagus audubonnii). Adjacent Segment of the L.A. River The segment of the L.A. River adjacent to the Project is vegetated with a mix of non-native species, native herb-dominated species strongly adapted to anthropogenic disturbance, and a small amount of riparian vegetation. Non-native species observed within the river include black mustard (Brassica nigra), castor bean (Ricinus communis), eucalyptus (Eucalyptus sp.), fountain grass (Pennisetum setaceum), foxtail brome (Bromus madritensis ssp. rubens), giant reed (Arundo donax), radish (Raphanus sativus), summer mustard (Hirschfeldia incana), and tocalote (Centaurea melitensis). Native species observed within the riverbed include black willow (Salix gooddingii) and mulefat (Baccharis salicifolia) [Photograph 2, Exhibit 4]. None of the above-listed species are special-status species. There are limited areas of native riparian vegetation (black willow and mulefat) present within the riverbed adjacent to an active channel. However, the predominance of the riparian vegetation and the active channel of the river are located on the far side of the riverbed furthest from the Project (ranging from approximately 250 to 275 feet from the proposed Project), and as the entire segment of the L.A. River is offsite, no impacts to riparian vegetation would occur. Historical aerial imagery indicates